Kelli A. Ovies

Kelli Ovies joined Smith Anderson in September 2006. She practices in the areas of Contract Disputes and Commercial Litigation, Intellectual Property Litigation and Intellectual Property. Although she concentrates her practice in litigation, she also assists clients with protecting their intellectual property by prosecuting trademark registration applications before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Prior to law school, Kelli worked for the North Carolina Association of Realtors, where she served as editor-in-chief of and was the primary writer for tar heel REALTOR magazine.

Professional & Community Affiliations

American Bar Association

North Carolina Bar Association

Wake County Bar Association

Volunteer, SAFE Haven for Cats

Legal Aid of North Carolina, Volunteer Lawyers Program

Honors & Awards

North Carolina Super Lawyers, Rising Star (2014-2016)

Kappa Tau Alpha Journalism Honor Society

Executive Editor, Law and Contemporary Problems, 2005-2006

Phi Beta Kappa

Experience

Was a member of a three-person trial team in a jury trial in Wake County Superior Court on a breach of contract case. The jury returned a verdict of $37 million for the firm's client. It was the largest verdict in North Carolina in 2010 and one of the top 60 in the U.S. This judgment was affirmed unanimously by the Court of Appeals in August 2012, and satisfied in full in September 2012 ($48.5 million)

Was a member of a team of American and Finnish attorneys that obtained two million euros in liquidated damages for a high-technology client, as well as a judgment declaring the client the exclusive licensee of the disputed technology, in an arbitration against its licensor

Represented a national uniform rental company in connection with its North Carolina breach of contract and collections matters

Prosecute trademark, service mark, and copyright registration applications before the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Copyright Office, and internationally

Represent clients in connection with trademark opposition proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board

Events

Presenter, Fundamental Legal Principles Relating to the Management of Intellectual Property Rights, Meeting of the Eastern North Carolina Section of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Durham, NC (September 2009)